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ANIMAL HEALTH AND WELFARE IN SCOTLAND - IMPLEMENTING THE ANIMAL HEALTH AND WELFARE STRATEGY
FOREWORD BY ROSS FINNIE
The livestock sector is of critical importance to the Scottish farming industry and also to the wider rural economy. Improved animal health and welfare standards can do much to enhance Scotland's reputation for quality produce, underpin consumer confidence and raise the profitability of farm businesses. This Implementation Plan sets out what work is going on and the type of actions which need to be undertaken to secure such benefits.
The Scottish Executive can facilitate many of the things which need to be done but only animal keepers can implement them. In Scotland we are not starting from a blank sheet. This year alone from my travels across Scotland I have seen a lot of the good work that is currently in place, and is a good foundation for the future. The Orkney Livestock Associations Health Scheme shows the benefits which proactive animal health planning can provide; my visit to the Moredun Research Institute demonstrated the enormously impressive expertise which we have in Scottish Research Institutes. If we harness this and capitalise on the significant contribution which the scientific community can make to promoting good animal husbandry practices, many other benefits and advantages for the Scottish livestock sector can flow from that.
The plan itself will be a vehicle for taking much of the work forward and raising awareness of not only what needs to be done, but also what can be done already. It will help to disseminate best practice. It is a living document that will be updated regularly over time to reflect changes in the science base, evolving best practice and industry developments. It requires significant stakeholder support to keep it relevant, appropriate and useful and this is a strength which we have in Scotland. We are a small country but the close links and easy accessibility which exists among Government and stakeholders is a positive advantage which we can use to be in the vanguard of enlightened attitudes to animal health and welfare.
Taking this work forward within Scotland there is a significant opportunity to promote animal health and welfare standards; to support - and enhance - our reputation both internationally and with consumers; and to promote farm business viability. I commend this document to you and would encourage all with an interest in animal health and welfare to contribute to taking its initiatives forward. I and my officials look forward to working with you towards these goals.
ROSS FINNIE MSP
Minister for Environment and Rural Development
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